Acting like the Greeks

That Greek tragedies resonate the issues and afflictions of the civilised world, day and age notwithstanding, is one of the reasons why students of Miranda House’s English Dramatics Society, Ariels, choose to perform Sophocles’ Antigone this year as part of their annual V Krishna Memorial Event.

“Of all the Greek myths, the one that seems to be the most investigated is Antigone’s. It has been unravelled by many authors. Going back to it can help narrate the complications of today’s times,” says Keval Arora, the director of the play.

Written in the fifth Century, Antigone is a dialectical exploration of the conflicts between the individual and the state, the obligatory duties of kinship and citizenship, the masculine and the feminine, the sacral and the secular, the breaking and the making of laws. “We decided to play by our strength, trying to break stereotypes,” says 20-year-old Isha, a team member.

Whether they toyed with the idea of adapting the play, to suit the contemporary times, or stuck to the original script, brings out some sincere responses. “Our text is original but it has been edited and adapted through things such as costumes and get-up to help connect with the current times,” says 21-year-old Jayati Narain, president of the dramatics society. “We made some sly insertions here and there, but not many,” adds Keval.